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Less milk post surgery?

Hi,
I had gallbladder surgery about 3 days ago and since then I have noticed I am producing far less milk than before the surgery. Before surgery I would pump 5-8 ounces after each feeding and in between. Now I'm only getting 2-3. I'm very upset because I was freezing and had a nice stash for just one month of breast feeding and now I've had to use some of that and my body isn't really making it back. I'm trying not to stress but I am so upset. I feel like my twin girls won't have enough when I breast feed or pump. The girls are 5 weeks tomorrow and they are going through a stage of growing and I'm worried I can't keep up now. Everyone said the milk would come back after surgery but how long does it take? I feel like I'm failing my girls.

Re: Less milk post surgery?

Re: Less milk post surgery?

Getting 5-8 oz right after nursing means you had some oversupply going on. A more normal amount to pump after nursing is an ounce or two, or even nothing. So that 2-3 oz you're now getting after nursing- that's actually quite good!

When do you have to return to work? Right now, I would encourage you to focus on simply nursing the babies on demand, and not supplementing with bottles. If you need to give them bottles so that they can "practice" for when you're on the job, keep the bottles small (1-2 oz at most) and limit them to once a day. Right now you want the babies to be doing the work of getting your supply where it needs to be.

Re: Less milk post surgery?

Prior to the surgery, were you exclusively breastfeeding, exclusively pumping, or some combination?

I really don't know anything about milk production going down after surgery. I’ve had three C-sections, and my milk production was always normal (a little slow to come in, the first time.) Except for the obvious- stress on your body- why would sugery impact milk production so dramatically? Was there a long period where you were neither nursing or pumping, maybe? Or are you perhaps seeing a normal leveling off of production, as mommal suggests?

Our bodies are made to produce ENOUGH milk for our baby or babies, not more than enough. If you have been exclusively breastfeeding twins AND stockpiling lots of expressed milk in the freezer, than you have been making more than enough.

Anyway, I agree with mommal. Assuming your babies are nursing, then nurse nurse nurse. That is how to increase milk production, if it really needs to be increased, or keep it where it needs to be. If babies are not nursing, then pump, as much as you can, and you may need to make sure your pump is working effectively.

Of course you can look into galactagogues (herbs or meds that may help increase milk production) as well, but the most important thing for milk production is to remove milk from the breasts FREQUENTLY. Assuming your twins nurse effectively, they will do this better than any pump. Assuming your babies are gaining normally, just nurse, eat and drink as needed, and REST. You just had surgery! You have infant twins! Please tell me you have good help at home!

Re: Less milk post surgery?

Hi,
Prior to surgery I was doing a combination of breast feeding and pumping. I was always ahead in terms of pumping, e.g: I would have milk ready for the 3:30 am feed by 2:30pm, but I was behind after surgery and couldn't catch up.

I've been trying to rest more and eat more - challenging after having my gallbladder out - and today has seen an improvement

One twin can't nurse each time as she tires too much (she was very small at birth and is still behind her sister) but the other twin nurses at almost every feeding. I couldn't nurse for 2 days after the surgery but now that I can my milk does seem to be coming back. I had to dump for 24 hours post surgery too so that was all wasted. Vey upsetting.

Re: Less milk post surgery?

Hi. Yes, I've had help with the twin who wasn't nursing well. She's actually doing so much better. We have her breast feed three times a day as long as she wants and she's gone from 10 to 20 and now almost 30 minutes. In the beginning she just needed to gain weight so I pumped for her. Also obviously the girls are growing and eating more at each session of pumped milk so that changes things as well.